Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington
Dallas, Texas — salaries, cost of living & taxes (2026)
Dallas is corporate America's quiet center of gravity. The city and its suburbs host more Fortune 500 headquarters than any other U.S. metro outside New York, and the steady stream of corporate relocations (Toyota to Plano, JPMorgan expansion in Plano, Caterpillar to Irving, CBRE moving its HQ to Dallas) has created an unusually deep job market for white-collar professionals.
The job market
Banking and finance (Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, JPM tech hubs), telecom (AT&T HQ in Dallas, T-Mobile in suburbs), professional services, logistics, and a fast-growing tech presence in Las Colinas and the Telecom Corridor. Healthcare and biotech are growing through UT Southwestern and the Dallas Medical District.
Top industries: Finance & banking, Telecom, Professional services, Logistics, Healthcare.
Housing & cost of living
Dallas is more affordable than Austin but no longer cheap. Median home prices in the city of Dallas hover around $410k. Suburbs vary widely: McKinney and Frisco trend higher; Garland, Mesquite, and parts of Carrollton are still accessible to median earners. Property tax effective rates in the City of Dallas approach 2.18%.
Taxes in Dallas
8.25% sales tax (state + local), no state income tax, and franchise tax only on entities above the no-tax revenue threshold. Property tax is the clear cost — for higher-income owners, the income tax savings vs CA, NY, IL still dwarf the property tax delta.
Should you move here?
Best for finance, tech, and corporate-job relocators who want a deep market without Austin's housing premium. The metro is sprawling — pick your suburb based on commute and ISD, not just the city you tell people you live in.
What people love: Major corporate relocations (Toyota, Caterpillar, CBRE) have created a deep white-collar job market with no state income tax on top.
What to watch out for: Property tax rates inside the city of Dallas can exceed 2.2%, and the metro is heavily car-dependent.
Estimate your Dallas take-home
Texas charges $0 state income tax, but your federal bill is real. Drop in your salary to see what you keep:
Estimates use 2026 projected federal brackets, the standard deduction for your filing status, and current FICA rates. Texas has no state income tax, so your gross is not reduced by any state withholding.
Frequently asked questions
What's the median household income in Dallas?
The median household income in Dallas is approximately $65,500. That's a Census ACS estimate; individual neighborhoods vary widely.
What's the property tax rate in Dallas?
Dallas's effective property tax rate is approximately 2.18% — combined city, county, school district, and special-district rates. On a $400,000 home, that's roughly $8,720 per year. File for the homestead exemption to cap annual increases at 10% and lower the school district appraised value.
Does Dallas have a city or local income tax?
No. Texas has no state income tax, and no Texas city levies a local income tax on wages. Sales tax in Dallas is 8.25%.
How does Dallas compare to other Texas cities for cost of living?
Dallas's cost of living index is approximately 103 (U.S. average = 100). That's near the U.S. average — moderate by big-city standards.
Is Dallas a good place for remote workers?
Dallas works well for remote workers because Texas charges no state income tax. If you work for an out-of-state employer from Dallas, your wages are Texas-source and untaxed at the state level — except for cases involving New York's convenience-of-employer rule. See our remote worker guide for details.